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Grab a good book, bundle up, and get ready for a cozy night in! When the cover of a book is opened, the imagination is unleashed to capture the wonders written inside. Books are a valuable source that enriches the lives of children all with the turn of the page. We chose some definite must-reads for kids they will love and want to read again and again!

Bedtime is a great opportunity for kids to settle down with a good book! Snuggle up and read along to Good Night Owl. Your child can enjoy the story of this adorable owl as he gets ready for bed just like them. Another great story for bedtime reading is Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site. The book tells the story of hardworking trucks as it’s time to say goodnight after finishing a long day of work so they will be ready to go for another day of rough and tough construction play. This book can definitely relate to kids as they wind down from a fun day of play and get rested up for the next day.

During those cozy nights in, kids can bridge the gap between reality and fantasy with a book that captures their imagination! Young readers can improve their literacy skills with some great easy-to-read chapter books including: Cam Jansen, Judy Moody, Magic Tree House, Junie B. Jones, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. These titles are also featured in book series so kids can continue enjoying what these amazing stories have to offer. Your child can chose from many different genres like mystery, humor, fairytales, adventure, and much more.

Did you know it is Get Caught Reading Month? In an effort to promote early literacy in young children at home, we have a few of our favorite book selections for you to choose from! Not to mention, fun ideas for places to get caught reading!

(2 years & up) Want an engaging way to teach children about household responsibilities? Learning from Henry is a great place to start! This adorable set of 7 paperback books encourages responsibility, teamwork, and helps build self-esteem in small children.

(3 years & up) What happens when a little pickup truck faces a muddy country road? Read about the adventures of a little blue truck that gets stuck while pushing a dump truck out of the muck. Filled with truck sounds and animals noises, this board book is a lighthearted journey to the power of friendship and the rewards of helping others.

(4 years & up) Meet Dan and Jan, two friends who love to run, jump, and even dance together! com’s title Dan and Jan is a charming story that will help young readers learn words in the –an word family. A great adventure for young learners to teach early vocabulary.

(6 years & up) This lively story encourages kids to work with numbers and make predictions. Beautiful ink-and-watercolor pictures show horses in a barnyard acting just like children on a playground. Notes are included for adults and children about finding patterns and making predictions in everyday life.

(7 years & up) Great for science learning, this fascinating hardback book is packed with information about habitats, breeding habits, anatomy, as well as oddities and shocking facts! Explore the world of reptiles and amphibians from all angles with information that is presented through close ups, quizzes, games, and engaging text.

Looking for cool places for kids to nestle up and read? Here are some fun suggestions.

Have you already started building your home library to celebrate Library Week? If not, we have some great tips for getting started in this previous blog post. Once you have decided what books will go where and what topics your children are most interested in, the next consideration should be environment. We have a couple of suggestions that are sure to leave your kids excited for reading time. Here are a few things to consider as a parent building your child’s home library:

Solid Seating

Children have to have somewhere comfortable to sit if you’re going to convince them to sit for extended periods of time. No matter how interesting the book is, if a child’s environment is not engaging enough, he or she will most likely end up carrying the book to an environment in which they are more accustomed, such as a bedroom. We have a few seating options we think will put your children at ease while surrounded by their favorite books:

Organization Station

If your library is going to feel like home, then there has to be a system of organization in place! Be sure to explain on the first day you introduce your children to the library how the books are organized—are they sorted by color, size, author, or genre? Use whatever system makes most sense for your family and be sure to hold each “borrower” accountable for replacing books where they found them. Finally, if your children are taking books outside of the home for road trips or across the street to a friends’ house, make sure you keep track of which books are “checked-out.” We have some handy Library Cards, Colored Library Pockets, and Home Reading Logs that will allow you to do just that:

Vamp up Variety

Books aren’t the only things libraries have to offer to eager learners. Give your children options when they choose how they want to learn. Reading books can many times be supplemented by sensory experiences for little hands, puppets for dramatic play, and even art expression for drawing pictures of the characters children fall in love with. Here are a few options for including a little variety in your library:

Puppet Play

Art Expression

Practice Communication

Finally, communication is an important life skill to foster in little ones and there’s no better place to begin than in the library! Make sure you keep a daily message board where children can check for home news. Do you want help with the evening’s dinner? Have your children find their favorites recipes in the library! Want to do a scavenger hunt? Leave a message asking children to find a specific book to add a little fun to their reading time while also making sure they understand how the books are organized. The possibilities are endless! Here are some effective ways to communicate in your library:

Having access to books at home is one of the most important steps in encouraging early literacy outside of school. Libraries create a sense of wonder in children as they run their fingers over a collection of titles just waiting to be read! If you’re considering how best to stock your home library, we have a few helpful tips for getting started:

Getting Organized:

Pick out a space in your home that encourages quiet time and inspires imagination!Including comfy seating, a window for proper lighting, and of course, titles to engage the whole family’s interests are a great start!

Don’t focus on how many books you have to start with because your collection is sure to grow! Start by asking your children what they like to read and stocking up on their favorite subjects and authors—a few thoughtfully arranged books will be much more beneficial to early readers than a large collection of titles that will go unread.

Ensure your home library is varied. Be sure you include picture books, bilingual books, read aloud books, board books, and even books that incorporate the use of puppets for dramatic play! By trying new books, children will discover what style they prefer and you’ll know how to further stock your library with their favorites. Here are some of our favorite selections to get started:

Where to Find Books:

Finally, we know it can get expensive when you consider shelves that need to be bought, books that need to be collected, and even the time you have to put into organizing your library. That’s why we want to make it as easy as possible. Here are some crafty options for easily finding books your children will love at cheap prices:

Free eBooks – Do you have e-readers at your house? eBooks are another great option for free resources your children can indulge in while surrounded by their favorite books. Home libraries are not only for collecting books but they can also provide a safe reading environment for children to feel secure in. Here a few helpful sites for finding free ebooks:

Digital Book Index (This is a catalogue of all the major eBook sites, university collections and other smaller publishers.)

Library Sales – Every public library receives donations and not all of those books make it onto the shelf. A lot of the donations are saved for book sales where you can find books priced from $0.25 to $1 in a wide range of subjects and genres. Not only will you find some exciting books for your own library but you will also be giving back to the public library system, an all in all win/win situation! Check the Book Sale Finder to find sales in your state.

Reading skill at an early age is not only one of the strongest predictors of overall school success, but it is also correlated with adult health! When a skill is so crucial to supporting a lifetime of learning, it’s important children become comfortable with it from an early age. Getting children to fall in love with reading will introduce new vocabulary, build comprehension skills, and expand children’s experiences beyond what’s immediate. Sometimes encouraging struggling readers can be as simple as promoting the reading material that they are invested in. We have four book suggestions that we hope will encourage your children to think of reading as less of an obligation and more of an enjoyment.

You will be hard pressed to find a child who doesn’t love animals! Encourage children to love reading about them too with I Love Animals, a journey full of colorful hand illustrations and enough animals for your reader to find their favorite!

Some children think reading is boring—until you add a super hero! Comic chapter books are a great middle ground that uses colorful illustrations of children’s favorite heroes while also encouraging reading skills as children learn about bravery, loyalty and heroism.

Bringing multiple senses to the reading experience can go a long way in developing a child’s love of reading. The Feels Real board books are a great way for tactile children to use touch as they try out simple words and test five different touch and feel textures.

Another way to get children to become invested in the reading experience is by giving them a chance to attach to characters. Henry is a great character to follow through this captivating series as he teaches children responsibility, teamwork, and how to build self-esteem. After reading the series, children will not only be more open to new reading experiences, but they will have also picked up social emotional skills along the way!

Want to learn more about the benefits of early literacy? Here are some great parenting resources:

Did you know April is National Poetry Month? Poetry is an expressive form of literature that allows students to be creative through purposively expressing their thoughts on paper, which allows emotional growth, literary and verbal advancement, and an understanding of how words are used to tell a story. Here are just a few of the benefits poetry can offer when introduced in early literacy:

Benefits:

Teaches the sounds of letters

Offers the beginnings of phonics

Enriches vocabulary

Introduces storytelling

Increases understanding of syllables

Provides creative outlet

To help you integrate poetry into your child’s day, here are three ways to bolster early literacy at home.

1. Read out loud.

Just by listening as you read different poems, children will learn to recognize the different sounds of words. This is a fun way for children to appreciate poetry as a storytelling form and learn the sounds of letters as they listen to rhymes and word play.

Here are a few places you can find free poems to read to your toddlers:

3. Have kids start an Inspiration Scrapbook.

Help kids avoid word block when they try to write poems. As words are everywhere, have children cut out all of those inspiring words and stick them into their scrapbook for safekeeping!

Materials:

inexpensive scrapbook

scissors

glue, tape, or glue stick

pens, markers, crayons, or pencils

Inspiring words! (magazines, greeting cards, coasters, photos, etc.)

What to Do:

Simply get started! The project extends over as long of a time as you would like.

Find words that make your child curious, or make them laugh, or maybe even new words they want to add to their vocabulary!

Cut out the word or photo and glue or tape it to a page in the scrapbook.

Organize the scrapbook, grouping the inspiration in whatever way makes most sense.

Make it personal. Have your little one add stickers, words, or pictures that they feel goes along with their inspiration. They will end up being little pieces to add to their poetry in the future.

Write a poem. Open up the Inspirational Scrapbook when your child needs inspiration for a poem. Have them translate the pictures into words, and turn their fun words into exciting sentences! Show them how to combine the words and thoughts into a poem!

-Continue to add to the Inspiration Scrapbook whenever inspiration strikes and have it on hand when writing time rolls around. Kids will be excited to look back over the pictures and words.

From magical worlds, to colorful characters, to lyrical lessons, Dr. Seuss is always a fun read for parents and children alike! If you’re looking for Seuss-inspired toys for your kids, we’ve got you covered. Check out our selections of educational toys that will teach your children alongside Dr. Seuss!

-You can’t properly celebrate Dr. Suess’ birthday without learning all about the man behind the books! This paperback, reading level Kindergarten – 1st grade, includes photographs and introduces the biography of the award-winning and famous illustrator, Dr. Seuss.

– Bring One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish to life with this classic fill-and-spill inspired by the beloved Dr. Seuss book! Includes five fish, each makes a sound–rattle, crinkle, bell and squeaker.